Brandon manager Kenny Lindoe has taken the penalty responsibility away from midfielder Andy Cuthbertson.

Brandon won 3-0 at Billingham Town on Saturday, but Cuthbertson missed a penalty in the process.

He hit the post with this effort and even though he put the rebound into the net, the goal was disallowed because nobody else had touched the ball.

"Andy missed two inside a week, because he also missed at Morpeth last Tuesday," said Lindoe.

"He put the ball into the net at Billingham, but it was debatable whether the keeper got a touch or not.

"I told the players earlier in the season that once somebody missed two penalties, then they're not doing the job any more.

"At half time, Michael Cunningham said he'd do the job, and he put his firs penalty into the roof of the net in the second half."

It isn't very often that referees are praised by managers, but Tow Law boss Graeme Forster was full of praise for Alan Blair, the man in the middle of their home game against Peterlee last Saturday.

"I take my hat off to him," said Forster. "Considering the wind and rain, he did very well to finish the game. It would have been easy to abandon it." Tow Law scored both of their goals early on in the match.

Durham manager Brian Honour is set to miss his side's game at Morpeth this Saturday as he is keen to go and see his side's next FA Vase opponents, St Neot's, in action.

"I watched Dereham in a midweek game in the previous round, but I didn't arrive home until early in the morning, so I'm not going to do that again,' he said.

"I must watch them play, because you never know what you might learn from them.

"So I'll probably miss our game at Morpeth.

"The problem is, the last time I missed a game with Morpeth, we lost 3-0 to them."

Guisborough manager Steve Corden is delighted to have signed Simon Kasonali.

The midfielder ended a decade at Marske United at the start of the season when he signed for UniBond League club Spennymoor, but he left the Brewery Field earlier this month.

Corden said: "He'd been at Marske for a long time and he fancied a change and travelling long distances in the UniBond League was getting him down.

"He's a player I've admired for a long time - he's a very good playmaker."

Kasonali soon brought immediate dividends, with Guisborough beating Peterlee 3-0 and then Seaham Red Star 3-1.

Willington midfielder Chris Gillespie was all set to play against Norton in a Second Division match recently - until he received an urgent call to return to work.

Gillespie is a pilot for a national airline, and he received a call on his mobile asking him to quickly report for duty. "He'd only been in the ground for 15 minutes when he received the call," said Willington secretary Bob Nichol.

Northern League clubs could be force to raise admission prices when the new refereeing system comes into force next season.

Under new recommendations, match officials could travel from as far as Manchester and Leeds to take charge of Northern League games, and that in turn will inflict higher travel costs on clubs.

At the moment, the Northern League draws on a handful of officials from Cumbria, but the number of long distance travellers is bound to increase considerably.

Even though the scheme is expected to be subsidised in its first season, it probably won't be in seasons to come, and the indications are that clubs will have no option but to increase admission charges.

Third Division Carlisle United are keeping an eye on Peterlee striker Ben Hall.

Hall was snapped up by Peterlee boss Eddie Freeman just before the start of the season, and he hasn't let him down with a double figure tally in league and cup.

Hall has already turned down one approach from Whitby, and Freeman said: "Ben is the ninth player in our squad to be approached by clubs from outside our league this season.

"He's done really well for us since he came, but obviously clubs are watching him."

Carlisle have already signed striker Brian Wake from nearby Tow Law this season, and are also understood to be watching Tony Chapman from Bedlington.

Peterlee ended a run of poor results when they won 3-2 at Marske on Tuesday night.

"When we lost at Consett last Wednesday, it was our ninth defeat of the season.

"We only had nine all last season.

"We're in situation in which we can't bring in players."

Jarrow Roofing have allowed keeper Michael Norris to join Second Division club Shildon.

Norris broke his leg at the start of last season, and has only just regained full fitness.

However, he is unable to displace Andy Hoggeth from the first choice line up, so manager Richie McLoughlin has agreed to an approach from Shildon, who are top of the Second Division.

"Andy's doing well for us at the moment, plus we have Dave Moore, an outfield player, who is quite good in goal."